1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a box carrier having a contact surface for transporting flat blanks and sleeves and folding boxes from them.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventional transportation systems for boxes are usually based on box carriers with mechanical clamping of the boxes. The carriers can each transport one box format or package style, and converting to new formats involves a considerable expenditure of time. Often, format-specific parts of the mechanical box mounts have to be replaced. These interventions mean a drop in production from stoppage of the machine and have the potential for mistakes in the setup or setting, which is problematic above all in the pharmaceutical industry. The setup time is especially long in variants that have replaceable box carriers, while mere settings, although they require less time, nevertheless have a high potential for error. A further disadvantage of holding boxes mechanically by means of clamping is the unavoidable deformation of the boxes that occurs, which makes closing of the boxes while they're being held by the box carrier more difficult.
As a universally usable alternative to the box carriers with mechanical clamping, vacuum belts are known, which are capable of processing various box formats without conversion. However, vacuum belts are distinguished by poor precision and cannot reliably prevent unintentional shifting of the boxes while they are being transported. Vacuum belts are therefore unsuitable for use particularly in the pharmaceutical field.